Things change
by Happymood
Summary: No relationship, no commitment, none of that… Tommy said... rated for safety. Eventually slash
1. Prologue

He didn't know how to call it. It wasn't commitment. It wasn't a serious relationship, heck, he didn't know if it _was_ a relationship. It just was.

It happened every Saturday night, after seeing one of Merton's B movies. It had become a routine for the both of them. And no one, even Lori, their best friend, knew about it.

But it started out long before they had met her.

It started one night. Tommy remembered it to be a really starry night.

"Merton…?" he opened the Lair's door shyly. He looked inside. The place was darker than usual and Tommy knew something was definitely wrong. He switched on the lights and Merton hissed at him, pulling his bed's covers up to his head. Tommy sighed.

"Merton…" his tone was the one of a mother scolding her child. Tommy surprised himself with that. Merton didn't respond and with a sigh Tommy pulled the covers away. Merton hissed again and tried to hide his face with his pillow, but the wolf was faster.

"Merton!", his best friend's eyes were puffy and soaked with tears. He had definitely been crying and the sight put Tommy completely off-balance. He kneeled beside his friend and Merton tried to cover his eyes again, this time with his own arms. Tommy didn't do anything this time, just waited, until Merton was ready to talk about it.

"It was serious…" Merton whispered and Tommy nodded, but then recalling that Merton couldn't see him, he whispered back:

"I know…"

"She loved me and I loved her…".

Tommy looked at him; it was the first time Merton had a serious relationship and it was just plainly normal that his friend took it so badly. They were so alike, both had that gothic style, black hair and all, same interests and Tommy thought they were just meant to be together. But then they fought, the bond between Merton and that girl cracked, and all of a sudden it was over.

"I know…" Tommy said again and squeezed his friend's hand. "But it's over now… I'm sorry…".

Silence and Merton raised his hand quietly and looked at him.

"What are you sorry about…" he said. "It's my fault…"

"No, it wasn't!" Tommy said, "But now it doesn't matter anymore. You must go on, face the tomorrow…",

Merton groaned and again put his hands on his face.

"I… I… can't…"

"No, buddy… don't say that…".

Tommy didn't know what else to say and remained silent again.

"I need sex…" the unexpected sentence took Tommy aback. "I need to feel loved, let it out, scream, free myself… then, maybe, I can move on…" then Tommy heard him chuckle a little. "And since I can't do it… I'll remain here, wallowing in sorrow…" Merton then turned around, as if not to face Tommy again.

"Forget everything I said, Tommy, mate…" Merton whispered, waving his hand, "Go home and forget all about me…".

And then it happened. Tommy doesn't remember why it happened. He remember gulping, sweating a little, looking right and left as if to make sure no one was listening and saying:

"I'll help you…"

Merton abruptly stood up.

"What?"

Tommy felt his throat dry up but nodded nonetheless.

"You're my friend… I'll do everything for you!"

Merton blinked, once, twice and then they both stood up.

"Just sex between friends…" Tommy said then, trembling slightly. "No relationship, no commitment, none of that…" he said as he put his hands on Merton shoulders. Merton shook his head, tears trying to found a way out to his cheeks.

"None of that…" Merton whispered and grabbed Tommy's shirt.

"None of that…" Tommy whispered back and took his pale hand, turned it over, examining it a little. The next second, Merton fell onto to him.

And that's how it started. And then it became a habit. They would it every Saturday night. It was a way to get rid of everything, forget all their problems of the week. Merton's bully problems, football problems, coach problems, girls problems. And start the new week without care.

But they never kissed on the lips.

No, kisses meant commitment. And neither of them wanted that.

However, with the arrival of Lori they stopped. Tommy relationship with her, Merton jealousy and Lori herself contributed for that _thing_ to stop. But when he and Lori broke up, it unexpectedly started again.

Tommy remembered very well the slamming of the door, his entering in the Lair, Merton's surprised gasp.

He had grasped Merton's shirt and shoved him onto the wall. He then had kissed him on the neck making Merton moan.

"Tommy what…" Merton had tried to say, but he had hushed him with a sudden gesture of the hand.

"Don't talk, please don't talk…". Merton had nodded and they had made love against the wall. Simply as that.

And so that's why he didn't know how to call it. It was just sex. The only way to let it all out, scream, free themselves, and forget all about their problems.


	2. Sarah Miller

"So are you planning something for Saturday?" Lori asked drinking her cherry beverage looking up at her two best friends. At that Merton almost choked on his drink and Tommy helped him cough, patting him on the back.

"I'm okay…" he whispered a moment later, smiling embarrassed. Lori looked at him, confused but then, thinking it was just old same Merton, continued:

"Well?" she asked them, glancing curiously as Merton looked around him in panic.

"Watching one of Merton's movies, of course!" said Tommy, nonchalantly and secretly gave Merton's hand a reassuring squeeze, then he looked at Lori slightly confused: "Why? Aren't you coming?"

Lori shook her head with a sad expression.

"No, I'll go visit my grandparents for the weekend… I'll not return 'till Monday…" she explained.

"Oh…" said Merton then. "Well… that's a pity…".

The school's canteen was emptier than usual that Friday, but noisy nonetheless. Students were talking loudly to each other over the constantly awful food the school provided, some of them laughed at a joke someone had said, while others whispered quietly, as if confiding secrets no one else should know about.

But even if students preferred to bring lunch from home that day, the same tables were occupied by the same people: football players sat as always at the back of the cafeteria, talking about sport or girls, while the cheerleaders sat one table away from them. And, as always, Tommy and his friends sat on the same table some feet away from the main door.

"Wow… who is she?" asked Tommy suddenly, smiling, Lori and Merton looked around.

"Who?" asked Merton then and Tommy nodded to a girl sitting with her friends three tables away from them.

"Oh!" said Lori, recognizing the girl in question, "That's Sarah Miller…".

Merton looked where his friends were staring and finally saw the famous teenager. She was a beautiful girl, brown waist-long hair and hazel eyes. She had a wonderful smile, seems like Julia Robert's one, Merton thought at first.

"You know her?" asked Tommy amusingly surprised, Lori just shrugged.

"Well, she's hot…" said Merton, Tommy laughed.

"I'm sorry! I saw her first!"

"Fair enough…" said Merton and with a smile returned to his drink.

"I think I'm going to talk to her…" said Tommy then, with a mysterious smile, "Show her the famous Tommy Dawkins's charm…" and winking at his two friends, he made to Sarah's table. Merton and Lori noted that most of Miller's friends swoon as he approached, whereas some of them giggled and started whispering to each other.

"Boys…" said Lori then shaking her head in amusement.

12

"I have a date with Sarah; I can't make it Saturday…" Tommy said after he and Merton greeted Lori goodbye. Merton looked at him and risked a smile.

"It's okay, besides I have a lot of homework to do…" he said, Tommy smiled back.

"Thanks!" said Tommy, "Sarah's really hot and intelligent too! I think I like her…"

"Good for you…" said Merton and avoided eye contact, "Does she likes you back?"

"Who doesn't like me back?" said Tommy laughing, Merton snorted. "No, seriously, I think she does…".

12

Merton put his hands in his hair and sighed audibly. He stared at the screen before him trying to read but he couldn't really see anything. He thought it was simple, but spending Saturday evening alone was unbearable. He tried to kill time searching for something useful to buy from e-bay, but that proved to be useless. All he could think was Tommy, Sarah Miller and their date together.

"Jealous, Merton?" he whispered to himself, "Well, you should be…"

How could he let it happen? He knew that Sarah Miller too and she was a really sweet girl –even if she never talked to him. As far as he knew, she never heard of him, after all they had been attending the same school for only six years.

He must be happy for Tommy, but just couldn't…

"Dammit…" he said to himself and switched off the computer. 'No commitment…' Tommy's words echoed in his head and sighed again. That meant he couldn't disagree with Tommy's date… both of them could date whoever they want, because it was…

"Just sex between friends…" he whispered to himself. He stared at the empty screen for a few moments until he heard someone approaching.

"Hey, Freaker…" Becky said entering his room with an annoyed frown on her face. "Mum said dinner's ready, but I just don't understand _why I _have to come down in this sewer and tell you that…"

Merton sighed again from behind his desk and looked at his sister.

"Well, and _I_ don't know why I feel like this… you know, me and Tommy have been having amazing animal sex for the past few months, just for the sake of it! But then _I _have to fall in love with him, which is just plain wrong because we're both guys and we both like girls… but there something about him that…"

"Okay!" said Becky at last, "You don't have to come up with this sick minded story of yours just because you're not hungry! And I thought I was making you a favor, Freaker!"

Merton sighed again. Was that the fiftieth time? And said:

"No, dear sister… I'm sorry, tell her I'm coming…"

"Why don't you tell her that!" and Becky flied out of the Lair. Merton was ready to stand up and follow her when the back door to his "room" opened.

"Hey…" Tommy whispered softly and entered.

"Hey…" said Merton, slightly surprised. "Weren't you with Sarah?"

"I am…" said Tommy, "She's out waiting me…" then he sighed and continued: "Listen, I thought about it and I think that…" he stopped and took a deep breath, "…that the thing the two of us, you know…".

He was having a hard time explaining. Both of them were.

"Well, anyway… it must stop… once and for all…" said Tommy at last, Merton remained silent. "Sarah… is… you know, I think she's the right girl… I really like her and…"

"I know I understand…" said Merton then and tried to smile, "The things between us, well… was… just a stupid mistake…" he managed to say in the end. "We're friends… best friends… and we're not supposed to do that… that kind of thing…"

"So, are you okay with this?" asked Tommy. Did he sound disappointed?

"Yes! Of course, big guy!" said Merton smiling. Tommy smiled back.

"Okay, then… see you on Monday…"

"See you…" and the door closed again. Merton sighed and stood up.

"Another problem I must get rid of but can't…" he whispered and went upstairs.


	3. If you love me

Merton stared at his locker hard.

'Damn thing…' he thought angrily and unexpectedly started to punch it with his free-book hand. 'That would do…' he thought smirking happily but when he tried to open it, the "damn thing" wouldn't unlock. Why did it have to break today? He sighed melodramatically and decided to try again.

"Hey…" Merton stopped his fist in mid-air and turned to the owner of the voice and smiled.

"Hey!"

"Won't the locker open?" Tommy asked and looked at the locker concerned. Merton sighed again and stared at the said locker too.

"No…" then he looked at Tommy shocked, as his friend gave the thing one hard punch without another word. Surprisingly, the locker opened immediately and Tommy smirked down at him.

"There you go!" Merton looked at the locker then at Tommy and blushed slightly.

"Thanks…" he said and he put the books he had been holding inside. Tommy closed the locker for him. Merton thanked again and looked at him.

"So, how did the date with Sarah go?" he asked annoyed. Why was he asking this? He didn't care at all about what that stupid bimbo and Tommy said or did last Saturday…

Tommy seemed blind to his friend's frustration and smiled brightly.

"We're officially dating!" Tommy said happily, "We have another date today… around seven…"

"Oh, that's… good… err, I'm very happy for you…" Merton said, hoping Tommy wouldn't notice his discomfiture. Just then a really happy Sarah Miller ran to them and hugged Tommy close.

"Good morning!" the brown haired girl exclaimed and looked up at Tommy. "I can't wait for tonight!"

"Me neither…" said Tommy then looked at Merton, who sat rather embarrassed behind them. "Hey, Sarah… I want to introduce you my best friend, Merton…".

At that Sarah's eyes rested on Merton and she mouthed a very surprised 'oh'. Merton tried to avoid eye contact and whispered:

"Hi…", but Sarah seemed not to have heard him and looked at Tommy astonished.

"Err… darling, I think we must talk…" and dragged him away. Tommy locked eyes with Merton for the slightest of moments and shrugging followed his new girlfriend to an empty classroom. Sarah closed the door behind them and looked at him more shocked than ever.

"You still fooling around with that… that thing?" she said obviously upset. Tommy looked at her confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh!" she said, "Merton!" she exclaimed annoyed. "That thing!"

"Hey! Merton's not a thing!" Tommy said angrily, ready to wolf out. "And besides he's my best friend!". He tried to calm himself. What would Merton do to calm him down?

"Oh, I know, honey…" said Sarah sweetly hugging him, then locked eyes with him, "But people talk, you know?" she explained as talking to a three years old child. "And I don't want people think that my boyfriend…".

"You shouldn't care about what other people think…" said Tommy blushing slightly as memories of sweaty Merton came to his mind. "And besides I know you don't believe anything they say, right?"

"Of course I don't…" said Sarah, her mouth sweeter than honey, "But… but you love me, right?", Tommy didn't know how to respond to that, but nodded nonetheless. "So, you would do anything for me, right?" Sarah continued then, smiling. Tommy nodded again, less certain this time.

"Of course, Sarah…" he said in the end. Sarah's smile was wide. 'Julia's style indeed…' he thought.

"So, if you love me…" she said darkly, "Stop your friendship with him, now!" and with that she stormed out of the classroom.

ooo

"Hey, Merton!" said Lori with a smile on her face. Merton turned around, still confused about Sarah's behavior, and smiled.

"Hi, Lori! So how was your weekend?", Lori sighed and rolled her eyes.

"One word!" she said, "Boring…", Merton laughed. "You know… my grandmother is a really cool person, and I love visiting her… but the rest of the family… oh! Don't let me talk about that!" and she and Merton laughed again. "So, where's Tommy?" she asked at last.

"Somewhere… kissing I suppose…" said Merton then.

"So the date went well after all, huh?" said Lori. "Sarah's a very popular girl in school; I think she's very happy to date the famous Tommy Dawkins!"

"Must be the only one…" whispered Merton.

"What?" asked Lori.

"Nothing… I think we must head to class!" he said rather quickly. Lori looked at him confused and curious but dropped the matter. Even because Tommy was walking towards them quietly, his head down, his eyes dark.

"Tommy!" said Lori, Tommy looked up and his face brightened.

"Lori! You're back!" he smiled at her, but Lori noticed Tommy was glancing at Merton rather guiltily.

"And no bones damaged!" she said then and laughed. "You don't know how happy I am to see you both!"

"Yeah…" Tommy said. Merton looked at him and understood something was really wrong. Why was Tommy adverting his eyes? As if he didn't even existed?

"Sorry, guys… I'm really late! I… I have to go…" said Merton suddenly and glancing at Tommy once more he headed to class quickly. Tommy sighed. Lori looked at him concerned.

"What's wrong?" then she said angrily, "Did you two fight? Was it for a girl? No! Was that Sarah Miller?"

Tommy looked at her, his eyes glowing with rage and sadness.

"You don't know the half of it…" and he run away, out of school. Lori stood there, confused.

"Well… this is something I didn't expect…" and decided to follow Merton to class.


	4. Discovery

She was sick and tired.

Lori walked down the Pleasantville's corridors with an angry frown on her face. Many students shivered when they saw her passing by and, praying God she wasn't looking for them, hided in all the most secreted places the school could provide. But Lori wasn't looking for any of them. She didn't even notice them run for their lives at the very sight of her fuming pace. No, she had other plans in her mind and those held the name of a certain Sarah Miller.

Because she couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't remain impassive watching her two best friends not talking to each other, or, more precisely, watching Tommy avoiding with all his might his best mate for about two weeks.

She felt sorry for Merton. He tried to talk to Tommy more than once, and even when the last one was ready to clear things up with Merton, that stupid Barbie girl would show up and destroy everything.

But Lori wasn't stupid. It took her half a second to understand that the same Sarah was behind this. The reason, however, of this was yet to be discovered.

And that's why, that day, she, Lori Baxter, decided to hunt Miller girl down until she spilled everything out. Because she was sick and tired of Tommy's behavior.

Finding Sarah wasn't a difficult thing to do. Every morning she would sit alone in the school's cafeteria waiting for her friends to arrive, while killing time with her always new mobile phone.

And as always Lori found her there, sitting alone, writing sms's to her friends.

"Sarah Miller…" Lori said looking down at her. With an annoyed, yet slightly scared, look in her eyes Sarah Miller looked up, closed her mobile phone and hid it in her bag.

"Yeah? What do you want?" said the brown haired girl with her irritating voice.

"I think we need to talk…" said Lori and before Sarah could protest, she took her by her shirt's collar and dragged her out in an empty classroom. Lori closed the door behind them and using her body prevented Sarah to find a way out.

"What do you want?" Sarah demanded, this time her rage and fear were more visible and Lori tried not to smirk. "Wait until I tell this to Tommy and I…"

"And you what?" Lori snapped, Sarah looked at her with fury, taken a-back, then her scowl was replaced with an evil smile.

"Well, it worked once…", the girl whispered and Lori looked at her confused.

"Right…" she whispered. "You're talking about Merton, right?"

Sarah shrugged.

"Perhaps…" then she made to go, "Now I must leave, I have more important things to do than talk with a scum like you…".

'Enough!' Lori mind shouted and angrily grabbed Sarah by her shirt and slammed her against the closed door. Sarah was now trembling in fear, her courage gone forever.

"Now stop being such a bitch and tell me!" Lori shouted, "What exactly did you tell to Tommy!"

"I… I…" Sarah's mouth dried up, her eyes close to tears.

"Talk!" Lori ordered. Sarah remained silent but when Lori made to punch her, she started to shout:

"Oh, you don't understand!", Lori's fist stopped in mid air, "Tommy's popular and he mustn't go out with people like you and that… that thing! He must be careful with his friends if he doesn't people to talk _and _people are already talking! About his friendship with that Goth, that's it!"

At that Lori calmed down. She had expected Sarah to say something like that. She let go of the girl's shirt and Sarah collapsed on the floor with a silent sob.

"And so you told him not to talk to Merton again…" said Lori, Sarah looked at her heatedly. Then Lori looked at her with hatred. "Do you understand what you're doing!" she shouted, "You're destroying the perfect friendship on earth! You little…"

And something unexpected happened: Sarah started to laugh hysterically.

"And so? I don't care! Tommy and I are popular; we're perfect for each other! He's mine!" and with that she flied out of the room. Lori stared at the now open door.

She got what she looked for and now the only problem was telling Merton…

...who was having problems of his own.


	5. The first one

Merton looked up from his locker to Tommy.

His best friend sat there, putting something in his own locker, without glancing at Merton, even for the briefest of moments.

Tommy has never been so silent. Even when they fought, they would exchange words, mean as they could be in those cases, but it was always something. This, now, was intolerable. This silence. This Tommy…

Merton looked back at his locker and groaning annoyed slammed the door with all his strength. Tommy, slightly startled by the gesture, looked at him open mouthed. For a second they stared at each other like they met for the first time. In some way, they did meet for the first time… thought Merton before shouting:

"Tommy! I can't take it anymore! Talk to me! Why are you avoiding me?"

Tommy gulped guiltily. Merton just stared at him, waiting for an answer, but Tommy immediately avoided his eyes and started to walk away.

"Is it something I done? Is it something I said?" Merton insisted, following him, not letting him go, and Tommy unexpectedly turned back making Merton bump onto him.

"No, it's not…" Tommy said, half calmly, half angry, and sighed, "Do you think I like what I'm doing to you?" he looked at his friend for a second before walking away again.

"So why are you doing it?" Merton asked desperately, then something clicked into his mind. He looked at Tommy more worried than ever: "Is it because we used to…"

"No!" Tommy almost screamed and some students glared at them, curious. Tommy blushed and turned around again.

"Please, Tommy…" Merton put his hand on Tommy's arm and looked down, making the werewolf stop for once, "…you're hurting me…" Merton whispered more to himself than to his best friend. But Tommy had heard him nonetheless and he looked down at Merton, his heart aching badly.

"I…" Tommy tried to say, his chest pounding, then grabbed Merton's hand and without thinking took him away to a desert corridor, one often unused by both students and teachers. Merton was looking down as if not to face Tommy again and when the werewolf delicately lifted his friend's chin with his fingers he saw for the first time the hurt in the Goth's eyes.

"I'm so sorry…" Tommy whispered, his hand still holding Merton's one.

Merton looked up at him. They were so close. Merton could feel Tommy's breathing on his neck. Tommy could feel Merton's scent.

Unconsciously, their fingers entwined and they rested forehead against forehead, eyes closed.

"Why won't you talk to me…" Merton whispered, coming closer to Tommy, "Why are you leaving me alone?"

"I'm sorry…" Tommy whispered again and his free hand as if having a will of his own caressed Merton's cheek.

At the slight touch the boys locked eyes. Neither of them knew what was happening, neither of them understood. But something was going on.

Because suddenly, Tommy's lips found Merton's ones and their mouths crashed into a sweet kiss.

Their first one.

Lips parted. Mouths and tongues desperately searched for each other until Merton felt his back against the wall.

Tommy's fingers in his hair. The back of Merton's hands against the cold wall, as if he was surrending.

Tommy pressing onto him. Their hands never leaving one another.

It could have lasted forever but suddenly the maddening need for air broke them apart. At that Tommy and Merton locked eyes again and fingers untangled themselves quickly. Without a word Tommy walked away and Merton remained there, unsure of what to do. Sliding against the wall he sighed soundly.


	6. Things change

It was to be expected. Tommy knew it was only then.

Because you can't have sex with your best friend and expect nothing going to happen. But that day, so long ago, neither of them had thought about it, because both of them were sure things would remain as they were.

'No commitment' he said and they both believed him. Tommy knew in that precise moment, if that kiss was of any indication (and he desperately tried not to think how amazing and needed that kiss was), that you can't have sex with your friend because things were more likely to happen. They were human beings after all and feelings were part of them.

They thought problems were solved when you screamed, let it all out. And when sweaty and exhausted sleep would take them into oblivion everything would immediately fade away. How they could possibly predict that the problem they were now to face wasn't going to be dealt with so easily?

Things change.

It wasn't just plain sex anymore.

Things had change.

Maybe they had changed that night. But he didn't realize it immediately...

That night, when they were laying down on Merton's bed naked. He had fallen asleep but then he woke up feeling Merton's fingers caress his lips and eyes. And when he had lightly turned his head to look at him, Merton had continued discovering his face with his fingers. His best friend had looked at him, not stopping what he was doing, had smiled softly and caressed again his cheek and lips. Tommy didn't talk, didn't want to, he just let him touch him. He didn't care, just smiled a little.

He remembers feeling very relaxed. Merton's fingers so soft against his skin.

He should have known that things had changed dramatically that night. Maybe they had already changed when he agreed to help his sad friend.

He didn't know it then, he did now, though.

All those touches, all those glances and secret smiles… or when he, Merton and Lori were watching a horror movie and in the middle of it Merton had took his hand and started playing with his fingers absentmindedly. He didn't let go. He should have understood that things had changed inside him, inside Merton, inside them, from all this little things together…

Maybe he did…

But it had been easier for him to pretend nothing was happening. There were some difficulties, though… It was difficult to look at girls in they same way he did before. Even if he still liked girls, none of them were the same as Merton.

They didn't understand him as he did. They weren't beautiful and intelligent as he was. But he had repressed those feelings and continued as if nothing was happening, as if he and Merton weren't having a relationship of some kind. Because, thinking about it now, it _was _a relationship of some kind. Its own kind. There _was _commitment.

And Lori never suspected anything.

He thought about Sarah Miller.

Sarah.

Sarah.

He thought he liked her. He was wrong…

Merton.

He had hurt Merton.

Kissed him.

Why?

The telephone rang and his thoughts were interrupted abruptly. He didn't want to move. He just wanted to remain there, on his bed, hugging the pillow pretending it was Merton. Then, he reached the phone with his hand:

"Hello?" he put his other hand on his face and started massaging his eyes. Merton's smile of that night and Merton's look of hurt when he left him were repeating it selves in his mind, over and over again. Did he really left him?

"Yeah… okay, I'll come…" and switched off the phone. He sighed and stood up.

Ooooo

"I talked to Sarah today…" Lori said sitting on Merton's bed. Lori then snorted a little. "Well maybe I forced her to talk…"

Merton nodded. He was sitting on his desk, beside the computer.

"Obviously…" he tried to smile.

"I'm telling you… this girl's crazy!" said Lori, "But I won't talk about that now… I want to talk about Tommy…".

Merton looked immediately away remembering the feeling of Tommy's mouth in his own. 'Why did you do that, Tommy?' he thought playing with a pen he found.

"Well, anyway… I know why Tommy isn't talking to you…" there was sadness in her voice, Merton looked at her, put the pen down and prepared himself.

"You know?"

"Sarah told him to…" said Lori then after a moment of hesitation. Merton was surprised, shocked to say the least. He stood up abruptly.

"And he listened to her?" he shouted, "He actually did as told?"

Lori avoided his eyes but nodded.

"It's impossible!" but then he fell on his chair again and put his hands on his face. Lori stood up immediately and ran to him, putting her hands on his shoulders.

"I know…" she whispered.

"We're best friends!" he said behind his hands, "Or I thought we were…" then he started to laugh, trying everything just to not cry "But he prefers popularity over poor little Merton, obviously!". Lori didn't know what to do, just remain there in silence. "And he had the guts to actually…!" then he stopped and looked at Lori. "Thank you for telling me…" he whispered then he stared before him, looking at nothing in particular.

Lori sighed.

'He told me he was sorry…' he thought. "So he did left me after all…" he whispered. Lori looked at him confused.

"He left me, Lori…" he said facing her again, then he looked away. "I'm sorry… please go home… I want to remain alone…".

"Are you sure?" asked Lori then worried, but Merton wasn't listening to her anymore, as if she had already left. Lori looked down at her friend, who was hiding his face with his arms, and sighed.

"Okay, then… call me if you need anything…" but the boy wasn't paying attention to her. She sighed again and left him alone.


	7. Smile

"My parents are out!" Sarah said dragging him into her big house with a wide smile on her face. Tommy looked around him as Sarah closed the door beside them.

When Tommy entered Sarah's house the first thing he saw was the spacious living room and the family portraits on the walls. Whereas crystal and silver decoration things were all around: on the table, on the television, on the fireplace, Tommy didn't dare to touch them. Sarah smiled again, thinking her house made a really good impression on her boyfriend, and took his hand.

Tommy looked at her, confused. Why was he doing here? Why did he accept to come? He should talk to Merton rather than stay here with this woman…

"Come… let's go to my room…" Sarah whispered sensually and Tommy, who really wasn't thinking about her, nodded. Sarah smiled even more as the two climbed the stairs up to her room.

Closing the door behind them Sarah immediately put her fingers on her white blouse and started unbuttoning her shirt. Tommy stared at her and unconsciously made a step back. But Sarah noticed it and came closer, her chest now exposed. She threw the blouse and the bra on the bed and stood there, in front of Tommy, expecting his move.

Tommy stared at her breasts for a moment then up at Sarah's face. But he couldn't see Sarah anymore. He couldn't see her body anymore. He could only see Merton.

Merton's chest. Merton's face. Merton's smile. Merton's fingers on his face. Merton's look of hurt of that day…

"I…" he managed to say and he remembered Merton laugher. How he loved to hear him laugh! He was the one who made Merton smile for the first time!

'…you're hurting me…' Tommy heard again Merton's words inside his head.

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked suddenly and Tommy felt kicked out from his own thoughts and memories. Tommy looked at her coming near him and putting her hands on his chest. Tommy shoved her away immediately.

"I…"

"You're not a virgin, aren't you?" asked Sarah then. Tommy snorted amused. Yes, right…

"I can't do this, Sarah…" Tommy said finally. Merton's body against his own.

"What?" Sarah exclaimed. Merton's lips against his own.

"I can't do this…" he said seriously. Merton's fingers on his eyes.

"Why?" Sarah asked again. When did everything changed again?

"I don't love you…" he said. Merton's smile. Then he continued: "Well, I think we're over… I accepted to come just to tell you this… sorry, Sarah, we're over!"

Merton's soft smile.

And with that he left her alone in her room, topless, confused and angry. He climbed down the stairs quickly and stepped out Sarah's house with a wide smile on his face.

Then something hit him on the head and he looked up to see Sarah's angry frown from her bedroom window.

"Fine! Be a jerk!" she was shouting at him. Tommy looked down at the enormous teddy bear she had hit him with and laughed. "I'll find someone better! And I thought I was helping you be more popular than before! Fine! Return to your stupid friends!" she yelled at him again. But Tommy wasn't listening to her, just ran. Ran.

Oooo

Merton lay on his bed with his hands on his face. Okay, he could cope with this... he could bear not having Tommy –his friend, his love… around him anymore! Well, it couldn't be more difficult, no? He could start from the beginning… when he was all alone in the world! Well, Lori was with him… she still was with him… they could face the world together! As he and Tommy used to do…

"Who am I kidding?" he whispered to his hands. He left him. Left him for the stupidest girl ever! He left him, because he listened to that witch!

Maybe she _was _a witch! He should consult his books on the matter! Tommy couldn't hurt him in that way! He must be under some kind of spell! So… there must be a way to kill the bitch slowly and painfully to get rid of… again, who was he kidding? …

The back door to his Lair opened quietly but Merton didn't move his hands from his eyes.

"Please, Lori, go! I don't want to talk right now…"

"Even to me?" asked someone and Merton stood up abruptly. His heard was pounding soundly in his chest. His throat dried up. Tears were coming in his eyes at an alarming pace. But he tried to don't let _him_ see them.

"Oh, my…" Merton said and Tommy hugged him close. Merton put his arms around Tommy's shoulders. "You're back…"

Tommy pulled him softly away and took Merton's face in his hands.

"Don't leave me again…" whispered Merton then staring up at Tommy's chestnut eyes, his lip now trembling just so slightly.

"I won't leave again…" Tommy said caressing his friend's face in a desperate way. "Oh, my I'm so stupid!"

Merton laughed a little.

"You are…" Tommy dried a tear on Merton's eye with his thumb. "Just don't do it again…"

"Never…" Tommy whispered and kissed Merton's eyes, "Never!" and kissed Merton's cheek, "Never…" and Merton pressed his lips on Tommy's ones.

Merton laid down, taking Tommy with him, their mouths never leaving each other. Until they broke apart, breathless. Tommy looked down at his friend.

"You're beautiful…" Tommy said and run a finger down on Merton's lips. "You know… I love you… took me all that time with Miller to figure that out…" he said sadly, "I'm so stupid…" he whispered then burying his face in the crook of Merton's neck. Merton smiled softly playing with Tommy's hair.

"I love you too, even if you're so dense sometimes…" Merton whispered and gasped slightly when Tommy kissed his collarbone. Tommy looked back at him and they both laughed at Merton's reaction.

"So you love me…" Merton whispered then, smiling. Tommy nodded and caressed his friend's cheek again. "…so why did you date that bitch for?"

"I told you… I'm stupid…"

"I know… but I love to hear you say that…" said Merton with smile.

"Oh, how cute…" said someone opening the door. "So… who's always on the top?"


	8. Embarassing conversations

At the sound of that voice the two of them gasped in unison and stood immediately up. Lori laughed quietly but her eyes showed them that she was, indeed, shocked.

"Okay… I don't know what to think of this, but… well…" she closed the door behind her and entered the Lair. Merton and Tommy looked at each other for a moment. Now it was the time to tell the truth. "Well, anyway… I'm happy that you resolved your problems…" she continued and sat down on a chair, laughed again and looked at them amused. "But now I want to know what's really going on here…".

"Well, you see…" Tommy started shyly. Lori nodded and seeing the comprehension in her eyes they both started to tell her exactly what had been happening between them the past months. They told her everything, from the beginning to the end. And Lori listened to them quietly, chuckling lightly to herself in some parts of the story, or looking at Tommy surprised, when they told her about the night of their break up.

"So…" she said when the tale came to an end and the boys looked at each other confused. "I don't really want details…" she said at last and then smiled: "But, returning to my first question, who's always on the top?"

The said question put the boys immediately off-guard. Merton expected everything, even some shouting because they didn't told her this from the beginning of their friendship, but then again Lori was known to be unpredictable.

"I thought you didn't want details…" Tommy said with a smile. Lori laughed a little.

"Okay, okay… you're right! You're right… but I think I can imagine it… well! It's obvious you're the one on top!" she exclaimed looking at Tommy. Then they both looked at each other sheepishly.

"Err…" Tommy started. But stopped immediately. Lori's eyes widened and she clearly was more amused than before.

"No! Don't tell me!" said Lori surprised.

"Yes, well… you're right I'm always on top, no doubt in that… but, well…" Tommy said then, "At the beginning he was the one who… well… then after our break up things changed… and…"

"I don't wanna know!" exclaimed Lori amused and covered her ears then laughed. "And I was so sure you two were virgins! Oh, my…" she laughed again, "And I supposed you did it a lot of times…"

"Yeah…" said Tommy, his eyes looking into nothing, "Lots of amazing times…" Merton punched him on the arm, Lori laughed, and then Tommy smiled. "In bed, against the wall, on the floor… maybe even on that chair you're sitting on…" at that Lori stood up abruptly and Tommy, even Merton, who until then had remained in silence, blushing like a maniac, laughed.

Ooooo

"So… are you okay with this?" asked Merton suddenly. Lori and Tommy looked at him. Then Tommy turned back to Lori and waited for her answer. In the beginning she shifted shyly on her chair and avoided their eyes. She looked at the computer before her, then at Merton's bookshelf and remained in silence for what seemed to them like hours. Then she looked at them, thinking.

"I think I somehow knew it all along…" she whispered, "And the tension between you those nights was so dense I could almost cut it with a knife… I didn't know why then, I know now…" she sighed and stood up. Then approached them and smiling hugged them both.

Wasn't she unpredictable?

Then she looked at them.

"I think I can manage…" she said, "… but don't shag when I'm near, I still have to get used to it!".

Ooooo

It feels so good to stand beside you.

It feels so good to hold your hand and feel your lips on mine.

And somehow this feeling doesn't feel wrong…

"So you're gay…" said Lori then.

"Well… I don't know…" said Tommy, "I never thought about a man like this before…" he continued looking at Merton, who blushed lightly under his eyes. "Did you?"

"No… never…".

Lori smiled again, amused.

"You never checked out a man you said, huh?" she said then,

"Yes, why?" asked Tommy confused.

"Well, I saw you checking out each other once… and you're both men…" and Lori laughed.


	9. Epilogue

Merton stared at the white and imperious walls before him. Was Pleasantville's high school always so big and, somehow, scary? Or it was because in there lived a creature named Sarah Miller? Feeling an arm around his shoulders he turned back to Tommy, who smiled at him softly.

"Let's go…" he said and Merton nodded slowly. And suddenly the building wasn't so frightening and hateful any more. Having Tommy near him gave him strength and courage. Why be afraid of that woman? Tommy was everything he needed. And he just knew he'll never leave him again…

Smiling back at him they climbed the stairs together and entered.

Before the lockers a certain Lori Baxter waited for them.

"Hey, guys!" she greeted them with a happy smile on her face.

"Hi, Lori…" they said in unison.

"I saw that Miller girl this morning…" she said, amusement in her eyes, "Oh! You'll laugh!"

Tommy looked at Merton then back at Lori.

"Why?"

"Well, you'll see…" she said trying not to laugh then she looked around them and smiled even more. "There she is! Okay, I'm going now… see you in class!" and chuckling slightly to herself she walked quickly away.

They looked at each other confused then the tapping of heels was heard and they looked up to see a boy, member of the football team, hand in hand with no other than Sarah Miller.

"Oh, my…" Merton said. She looked at them for a moment and squeezing her new boyfriend hand she continued walking. Tommy and Merton smiled.

"I'm so sorry for him…" Tommy said and they both laughed. Sarah's nose was up to the sky as she passed them, but they both knew she was looking at them with the corner of her eyes. Tommy put a hand around Merton's waist and pulled him closer. And they both smiled.

Sarah shot them a dirty look and vanished from their sight.

"Did you see her face?" Merton said.

"Yeah…" Tommy said. "How I wish I had a camera then…".

"I hate her…" whispered Merton then, "Still I somehow need to thank her…"

"Why?" Tommy was more than just surprised. Merton looked at him.

"Well, if it wasn't for her you would never have understood how much you and I love each other… and need each other".

Tommy smiled.

"Maybe…" he said and kissed him. Before all the student body, but they didn't care. Merton smiled under his touch. "But I think I knew it all along…".

How things can change in a moment!

Merton smiled and kissed him again, more passionately this time.

Maybe he didn't have to thank Sarah Miller. Maybe he just did have to thank that girl, his first serious relationship. The one who dumped him and started everything.

Or maybe not.

It didn't matter.

Because now he had Tommy.

And that was everything he could ask for…

**The end!**


	10. AN

Author's notes:

Well! This is the end! I'm a little sad that this had to finish but I hope you had fun reading this as much as I had fun writing it! I want to thank readers and reviewers. You gave me strength to continue writing.

So thanks to Elemental-animal, Animegirl1129, Mouse Kaiser, McKenzie Drestire, optimistic girl94 and everyone who read this, even without reviewing it.

Happymood.


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